Reading lamp



E. HERST READING LAMP Nov. 22, 1949 Filed Nov. 12, 1946 JNVEN TOR. Edward Hers? ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 22, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Edward Herst, San Francisco, Calif.

Application November 12, 1946, Serial No. 709,284

3 Claims The present invention relates to improvements .in reading lamps and has particular reference to the two persons may desire to quit reading and to go to sleep, whereas the other person may desire to continue reading. In such cases the conventional bed lamp does not provide any means for confining the field of illumination to one person while protecting the other person against the light rays.

In the present invention it is proposed to provide a convenient means whereby the width of the area of illumination may be reduced to serve one person only while protecting the other person from the glare of the light.

For this purpose it is proposed to provide a shutter normally located in inactive position so as to allow of full illumination but adapted to be moved into position for limiting the field of illumination.

It is further proposed to provide the shutter with a means which when moved opposite the lamp will concentrate the light rays upon a comparatively small area, and which may be constructed to have a dimming effect in case it is desired to convert the bed lamp into a. night lamp shedding a dimmed light.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the specification proceeds and the novel features of my invention will be fully defined in the claims attached hereto.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 shows a front view of my bed lamp with the shutter in inactive position,

Figure 2, a similar front view with the shutter in active position, a portion being shown in section,

Figure 3, a section taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4, a perspective view of my bed lamp on a reduced scale.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, I wish to have it understood that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims attached hereto 2 without'departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my bed lamp I comprises an elongated casing 2 preferably made of uniform cross-section and of any suitable attractive design.

In the form shown, my case is made with a fiat front wall 3, fiat top and bottom walls 4 and 5, and a semi-circular rear wall 6 merging into the top and bottom walls respectively. Any other suitable design may be substituted.

The bed lamp is preferably made somewhat longer than in conventional practice to allow of the addition of the shutter forming the principal part of my invention. The casing is provided with flat end walls I and 8 of any suitable form and one of the end walls has a socket 9 mounted thereon adapted to receive the lamp ill, the socket having suitable conduit connections If and an operating chain l2 for opening and closing an electrical circuit.

The front wall is formed with a Wide light opening I3, which extends through the entire width of the casing, except for that portion occupied by the lamp mounting. The lamp itself appears through the light opening, but is mounted near one end of the latter so as to leave a relatively large portion at the other end available for accommodating the shutter shown at H.

The shutter comprises a plate l5 slidable in grooves l6 formed in the casing near the upper and lower edges of the front wall and is movable between the retracted position adjacent the end wall 8 and an advanced position shown in Figure 2, in which it completely covers the lamp H]. The shutter may be operated by means of a handle l1 and has a lens l8 therein, which registers with the lamp when the shutter is in the advanced position of Figure 2.

The lens may be of any suitable and preferred type and may be used for focusing the light rays upon a comparatively small area and also to dim the light.

The shutter M has a partition I9 projecting rearwardly from the far edge thereof into the casing, the partition having the same shape as the housing so as to form a complete closure for the latter against the lamp in any position to which the shutter may be moved.

When the shutter is in the retracted position of Figure 1 its front edge is spaced from the lamp sufficiently to allow light rays to radiate in both directions over a field sufficiently Wide to cover the entire bed area. If it is desired to reduce the area of illumination, the operator may move the shutter to the left from the position shown in Figure 1 so as to bring the near edge of the shutter into close proximity to the lamp.

When the shutter is moved into this position only one side of the bed will be illuminated, while light rays are excluded from the other side by the shutter and by the transvers partition 19.

If it is desired to further reduce the light area and to concentrate the same upon the reading matter used by one of the bed occupants, the shutter may be pushed inwardly into the position of Figure 2. In this position the shutter and the partition l9 exclude all light rays from the room, except those passing through the lens I8. The latter may be constructed to have a certain dimming efiect and still furnish suflicient light for reading if the reading matter is held in the proper position with respect to the light rays.

The casing may be pivotally mounted in a yoke 20 as at 2|, and the yoke may be formed with conventional hooks 22 for suspending the same from the upper edge of the bed frame. The yoke may also carry a'bracket '23 for suspending the lamp from a nail in the wall in case the lamp is to be used as a wall lamp. Suitable modifications may be made for suspending the lamp or for mounting the same as a desk lamp.

It should be noted that while I have shown one shutter movable in one end of the casing, the device could be readily modified by providing shutters in both ends if such were found to be desirable.

It is further apparent that while I have shown the housing as being attachable 'tora support and the shutter as beingmovable in the housing, the device could be readily modified by making the shutter the fixed part and the housing movable on the shutter.

I claim:

1.1m a reading lamp of the character de-.

scribed, an elongated casing ofu-niform crosssection having a lamp mounted therein and having a rectangular light opening arranged lengthwise thereof for illuminating a relatively "wide area, and a shutter slidably mounted in the long edges of the light opening and operable to reduce the width of the light opening for limiting the field of illumination, the shutter having a partition extending transversely through the casing, and the partition being made to correspond in 4 shape to the cross-section of the casing and being slidable with the shutter to prevent radiation of light rays past the rear edge of the shutter.

2. In a reading lamp of the character described, an elongated casing of uniform crosssection having a lamp mounted therein and having a rectangular light opening arranged lengthwise thereof for illuminating a relatively wide area, .a shutter slidably mounted in the long edges of the light opening and operable to reduce the Width of the light opening when moved toward the lamp for limiting the field of illumination, and a partition projecting inwardly from the far edge of the shutter to extend transversely through the casing, the partition being made to correspond in shape to the cross-section of the casing to prevent radiation of light rays past the same.

3. In a reading lamp of the character described, an elongated casing of uniform crosssection having a lamp mounted therein and having a rectangular light opening arranged lengthwise thereof for illuminating a relatively wide area, the lamp being positioned adjacent one end of the light opening, and a shutter normally mounted in the other end of the light opening and being slidable toward the first end of the light opening for limiting the field of illumination, the shutter having a partition extending transversely through the casing, and the partition being made to correspond in shape to the cross-section and being slidable with the shutter to prevent radiation of light rays past the rear edge of the shutter.

EDWARD HERST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,625,932 Berg Apr. 26, 1927 2,075,199 Horner Mar. 30, 1937 2,158,408 David May 16, 1939 2,374,161 Belden Apr. 24, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 824,559 France Nov. 10, 1937 

